Rotating christmas-tree stand



c. F, TACY 1,988,343

ROTATING CHRISTMAS TREE STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 15, 1935.

Filed March 29, 1932 IN V N TOR.

Jan. 15, 1935. c TACY ROTATING CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed Mafch 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TTOR Patented Jan. 15, 1935 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE off. $3223? IClalm.

This invention relates to display stands or supports and more in particular to rotating stands for Christmas trees.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand having power means, such as an electric motor or a spring motor whereby to rotate the tree in its erect position.

Another object of this invention is to provide in conjunction with the operating mechanism an electric switching device whereby a Christmas tree supplied with electric lights, may have the latter automatically switched on or of! at stated intervals either collectively or in groups, to thus produce various lighting effects.

A further object of this invention is to provide with and actuate by said operating mechanism a musical instrument, which may be operated at will. 1

Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of my Christmas tree stand.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said stand, partly in section, taken on line 2-2, the cover being removed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing one method of guiding and locking the shifthandle of the musical instrument.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the tree socket of the device with the electric switching mechanism supported thereby shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the switch-mechanism showing also an arbitrary wiring diagram for the electric lights of a Christmas tree.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view showing a Christmas tree mounted in a rotating stand of my invention.

Reference being had to the drawings a rotating stand comprises a base 1 having a central aperture 2 in which is mounted a cylindrical column 3 secured in place by means of the screw-nut 4 and washer 5. p

Freely mounted about said column is a sleevemember, 6 in the upper end of which is secured in any desired and suitable manner, such as by the set-screw 7 the shank 8 of the tree-socket 9 having a wing screw 10 for the purpose of fastening the trunk of the Christmas tree. The sleeve member and the tree-socket are rotatably supported by the stationary column 3 and, if desired an anti-friction bearing 11 may be introduced between the opposite ends 01' said column and shank 8 to reduce the power requirements.

The motive power may be derived either from a spring motor or, preferably from an electric 5 motor. In the present embodiment an electric motor 12 is used the power of which is transmitted to the sleeve member 6 by means of a worm 13 actuating a worm-gear 14 secured on a vertical shaft 15 rotatably supported in a bracket 16. At 10 the upper end of said shaft is secured a gearpinion 1'7 in meshing'engagement with a large gear 18 keyed or otherwise secured to a quill 19 frictionally secured on the sleeve-member 6. If desired, slots 20 may be cut in'said quill to render 15 one end thereof resilient and to insure a frictional engagement with said sleeve-member.

The reason for frictionally mounting the large gear 18 on the sleeve-member is to prevent any overloading of the electric motor, in case of ex- 20 cessive resistance against rotation being imposed on the tree or its socket. When spring actuated motors are used, the quill may be dispensed with and the large gear secured directly onto the sleeve-member 6.

The quill is supported against downward movement on the sleeve-member by the single-pitch screw-worm 21 which is secured on the former in any desired manner, such as by the tapered key 22. This screw-worm drives a worm-gear 23 secured on the horizontal shaft 24 rotatably mounted in bearings 25 secured on a plate 26 hingedly secured on the base 1 by the fulcrumscrew 27 and a holding screw 28 engaging an arcuate slot 29 provided in the plate 26, which slot limits the arcuate movement of said plate.

Upon the shaft 24 is secured the pin-studded drum 30 of a musical instrument the pins of which drum are adapted to engage the teeth of a musical comb 31 secured by screws 32 on a block.

33 secured to the plate 26.

In this block is fastened a resilient shifthandle 34 by means of which the plate and parts mounted thereon may be swung about whereby the worm-gear 23 may be brought into or out of meshing engagement with its drive-worm 21.

The complete driving mechanism is enclosed in a cover 35 held on the base 1 by screws 36. The handle 34 protrudes beyond said cover and is guided therein by an elongated slot 37 having notches 38 engageable by the handle 34 and whereby the latter is held in its two extreme 130- sitions.

The complete electric switching mechanism for operating the electric lights of the Christmas treeismountedoutwardlyonthetreesocket9 and comprises a contact-board 39 of insulating material. secured in spaced relation with said socket by screws 40 and the spacers 41. Upon this contact-board are concentrically mounted contact-studs 42 having shanks 43 extending beyond the inner face of the board and to which are secured by soldering, or otherwise, the various wires of an arbitrary light distribution system.

Centrally secured on the contactboard is a shouldered stud-shaft 44 which rotatably supports, in spaced relation with said board, a vertical sprocket 45 also made of electrical insulating material, and upon said sprocket is secured a resilient metallic contact-finger 46 adapted to yieldingly engage the contact-studs and glide over same. This finger is of suflicient width to engage simultaneously two or more contact-studs grouped together but is narrow enough to clear the individual contacts spaced uniformly on the contact board.

Upon the cover is secured a detent 47 which is adapted to engage the sprocket 45 every time it revolves about the vertical axis of the tree-socket, and rotate said sprocket one tooth at each turn, thus causing the contact finger to engage successively the various contact-studs 42 and establish diflerent electric circuits tor the lights.

Electric current is delivered to the various contact-studs by means of two collector-rings 48 and 49 mounted upon a collar 50 of insulating material secured upon the sleeve-member 6. The latter is longitudinally slotted, as at 51 to provide a channel for the wires 52 and 53 which are connected at one end to the rings 48, 49 respectively.

Wire 53 is connected at the other end to the stud-shaft 44, respectively to the contact-finger 46 whereas wire 52 connects by means of several branch wires, to be enumerated herebelow, to the various contact-studs and the tree-lights or groups of lights.

Two current brushes 54, 55 for the collectorrings 48, 49 are mounted in a block 56 of insulating material secured on top of the bracket 16 and are connected by means of the wires 57, 58 to the main electric circuit 01. the house, via a contactsocket 59 secured suitably on the base 1.

In conjunction with there is shown a wiring diagram for an arbitrary lighting circuit. Assuming for instance, that the sprocket wheel 45 be in the position shown and the electric circuits to the main line be closed, current will pass from the collector ring 48 through the wire 52, the branch-wire 61 through the light (or group of lights) L1, to the contact stud Cl, the contact-finger 46, and via wires 53, 58 to the other pole of the main circuit.

Similarly when the sprocket 45 is rotated, by the revolution of the tree-socket 9 so that the contact finger 46 engages successively the single contact-studs C2, C3, C4 etc., the lights, or groups of lights L2, L3, L4, etc. respectively will be turned on, the circuits being completed by wires 62, 63, 64 etc.

As the contact-finger simultaneously engages the three closely mounted contact-studs H three lighting circuits, including the lights L-2, L-3, L-4 will be established via the wires '10, 71, 13 etc. When at 0-6, the contact-finger will cause the ignition oi the lights L-6 and L-8' and when atC8thelightsL-6 andL-8'willbe turned on, the current being supplied via wires 68 and 69, as will be seen from the diagram.

The lights may be oi diflerent colors or shapes whereby very interesting and artistic lighting eiiects may be obtained.

The electrical circuits for the motor 12 and the various lights are preferably made independent irom each other by connecting the motor circuit in parallel by means of the wires 74 and 75. If desired, individual switches '16 and 7'7 may be mounted in an accessible manner on the base 1 or cover 35, or any other suitable place, to permit the operation of the motor or lights independently of each other, thus, it switch 77 is open, the tree will revolve with the lights turned 01!; whereas if switch 76 is opened and switch '17 closed, the lights will burn and the tree be at standstill.

The device may be connected to the house current by plugging the contact-plug '18 secured at one end of the electric lamp cord 79 into the socket 59 while the plug 80 at the other end 0! said cord is plugged into any suitable socket oi the house wiring system.

It is thought that from the above description the operation of various parts of the rotating stand will be apparent without further comment.

Instead of using a musical instrument of the type herein described, a phonograph or other instrument could be readily incorporated in this stand by making slight structural modifications which could be readily conceived by persons versed in this art.

As will be understood, there may be changes.

made in the construction and arrangement of the details of my invention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claim, in this application in which the preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

I claim:-

In a music-box for a Christmas-tree stand and the like comprising a rotatable support for said tree, a main-base and a cover therefor, the com- .bination 01 a rotatable pin-drum; means to rotate same by said support; a base-plate for the.

pin-drum pivotally mounted on said main-base;

a resilient handle secured to the base plate to selectively shift the pin-drum into connected and disconnected relation with said support; said handle being slidable within a slot provided in said cover and adapted to snap into notches contiguous with said slot to hold the pin-drum against shifting in either direction in the selected position.

CLARIS F. TACY. 

